Comment from an evangelical presbyterian perspective and an orthodox confessionally reformed outlook.

Thursday, 18 January 2018

Serve to Lead

Serve to
Lead

My
son posted some pictures on Facebook this week of 400 Troop, Royal Logistic
Corps, clearing snow at their barracks. The post said “All hands on deck at 400
Troop this morning to clear heavy snow from the access road to Helles Barracks.
All ranks were involved in the effort using shovels and spreading grit manually.” He, a Captain, was working there alongside
his troops. One comment quoted the phrase,
“Serve to Lead”.

“Serve
to Lead” is the motto of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, where British
Army officers are trained. John
Keegan, writing in the Telegraph, says:

“The Academy’s
motto is “Serve to Lead”, a paradox if ever there was one. But this seeming
contradiction is precisely at the heart of what makes Sandhurst a very special
place. It teaches, above all else, that an officer must lead by the force of
his unselfish example; it explicitly emphasises the centrality of leadership
rather than man-management.”

This
would also be a very suitable motto for ministry.

Our Lord says, “I am among you as the one who
serves.” (Luke 22:27) Indeed the very
term minister derives from the term for a servant. Ministry is not primarily about our status,
authority, and importance. We are called
to lead, but that leadership gains its acceptance through our service. Those
whom we lead hear our actions as much as our words. When we display an arrogance that demands
acceptance but does not earn it by service, we show that we are not motivated
by the example of Christ or led by his Spirit.

About Me

With degrees in both philosophy and theology, I have lived and worked in the UK, West Africa (working in theological education) and the USA. As a Teaching Elder I served for 19 years in the Church of Scotland and 4 years in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (USA). I am a minister of the Free Church of Scotland, and a member in St Andrews Free Church, Fife.

I am married to my wonderful wife Aileen, who has supported and moulded me over 40 years of marriage - an ongoing project that may yet pay dividends, although it requires great patience on her part.